Five things I’ve learned running my business for five years

Five years ago. A small town in Belgium. There’s a warm cup of coffee nestled between my hands and an irresistible idea brewing in my mind. The headline? The paint industry was prepped for a shake up … and I was going to be doing the shaking.

Within six months, Fusion Mineral Paint was born, and we’d launched a completely new brand of products across five countries and 50 stores.

This was my first ever “head shot” – taken by my sister Meagan, during Golden hour, right outside our warehouse. It was about as low budget as these head shots come!

Getting here has been far from easy, and every day I am challenged. However, I’m forever thankful for the opportunity to build and grow my business, and I approach every single day with gratitude.

Because with challenges come lessons, and over the last five years I’ve had a lot of both.

But because you likely don’t have time to hang out with me for days while I walk you through them all, I’ve cut this blog down to the top five things I’ve learned over the past five years (with some fun tidbits you probably never knew about me and Fusion!)

Don’t sweat the small stuff.

(Even when the small stuff seems bigger than Mount Everest.)

Within a month of starting Fusion, I had ordered custom-printed, handmade color cards, true to print. They had 24 colours gorgeously laid out and looked absolutely amazing. The first delivery arrived, we swooned, and then waited for the rest.

And waited … And waited …

I bit my nails to the quick thinking about the huge amount of money I’d invested. When I finally heard back from the printer, it was a brief one-line email informing me that their warehouse had burned down.

I almost fainted. 10k worth of color cards … literally up in flames.

But instead of crying myself to sleep (okay, maybe I did a little of that too), I got creative and came up with other printed and less expensive options … which we still use to this day!

Plot twist: Months later, we get an email from the original printers, who had somehow found our color cards and salvaged them for us.

Keep looking forward.

(And don’t linger over what “could have been”. Instead, create what CAN be.)

Here’s a story I’ve shared with very few people. Several years before I created Fusion, I applied to become a Canadian distributor for a very large competitor.

It seemed like a slam dunk. I had a lot of connections, I had distribution set up and I had been shipping country wide within Homestead House Paint Co. for 20 years. We knew our paint stuff and saw a demand for their product.

But after applications and interviews, we were simply not the right fit for them.

So what did I do? I just kept going and did my own thing! Shortly thereafter, I helped bring to life the Milk Paint collection by Miss Mustard Seed, and then two years later I created Fusion Mineral Paint.

Because when something stands in your way, move around it and figure out another way to make your dreams come true.

Don’t give up on your dreams.

Be truly authentic.

(You’re a one-of-a-kind; Don’t resort to becoming a mimic of something you aren’t.)

The competition in any business is a tough one to manage! To keep your sanity as an entrepreneur, you must stay focused, stay in your lane, and be you.

You can’t pretend to be someone else or another brand. You have to offer what people want.

There are many companies that try to copy what we do. From our marketing, videos, product and even right down to the names, many of our ideas have been ‘borrowed’.

But what can we do? No one wants to be caught up in legal battles. That’s no fun for anyone involved (and super costly to say the least).

So I just stay authentic, create products that I know will be loved by my clients and that serve a purpose and a need.

And by being authentic, I truly LOVE what I do, which makes my job an absolute dream come true!

Don’t forget where you came from.

(Learn from the past, and the lessons it gave you, and continue to innovate.)

Having grown up watching my family run the family business for 20+ years, taking over the business was a challenge I was ready for.

The long hours, the months just barely getting by paying the rent … there were no luxuries. I do not forget this, and it wasn’t long ago that I was there.

I truly appreciate your hard-earned dollars, so you can be sure that when I create something new, whether it be a training program, a conference or a product, it comes with the expected high value and quality you deserve.

These values run deep in my veins and I give everything 150%. I care about people’s experiences and feelings and want to do anything I can to help make their lives easier, whether it be giving business tips, DIY paint tips, or just a good old laugh every now and then!

Because making it in business five years after that fateful morning at the kitchen table in Belgium, I feel like it still hasn’t hit me.

Five years – where did that time go?!

And yet, what I’ve learned over the last five years feels like a lifetime of lessons.

Which wouldn’t have been possible without YOU and your support. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for helping me get to where I am.

I hope to give back and share what I’ve learned through more blog posts and content. If there’s something specific you’d like to hear more about, just drop a comment and let me know. I read and respond to them all.

13 thoughts on “Five things I’ve learned running my business for five years”

Congratulations, bring an entrepreneur is not easy and it sounds and looks like you have done an awesome job. I am curious, I am 55 years old, I know everything goes in and out of style. Painting furniture is no different, it was I style years ago and then everyone wanted to see wood for awhile and now with new paint options it is back and even more popular but wood will co snack someday. What are you doing for your company to get ready for that eventuality? I am just curious, I enjoy the paint a lot and have almost every colour. Thank you for being you.

Your encouraging words couldn’t have come at a better time for me JennyLynn! The Keep Looking Forward and Be Truly Authentic sections really hit the nail on the head for me. I’m making some changes in the next few months, and going back to the way my little shop was originally…the true me! Thanks for the inspiration!

Congratulations on your success, hard work and dedication to see your vision for FUSION Mineral Paint come alive. So glad to be a part of this journey as a retailer at Homeworks Etc in Langley, B.C., Canada.

I love everything about your journey. It makes you genuine. It makes you lovable. It makes you admirable. Thank you, for all you do for us merchants who have a dream to do more. I appreciate you more than you know!